The 3 most common work fears and how to overcome them

Even the most successful people have their share of these. We all want to deliver the very best results and gain respect from our bosses and line managers, but sometimes our worries get the better of us and we don’t know how to manage them. The good news is that you’re not alone.

Here are the three biggest fears we all have when it comes to our work, and the ways to overcome them.

1. I’m not good enough

We all feel that we’re not good enough sometimes, particularly when we start a new job. Try not to focus too much on what others are doing. So what if someone can do something a lot better than you can? You will get better over time and as you gain experience, just like everybody else.

2. My work is irrelevant

I once went on a terrible first date with a guy who was a doctor. He asked how could I be a journalist, or anything other than a medic for that matter, and sleep at night. He wanted to know how I could be so selfish in choosing a career in which I wasn’t helping anyone?

I learnt a harsh lesson. People will always judge you and always disagree with you, but you need to shrug them off. They aren’t worth it. Needless to say that guy got ghosted pretty quickly. Be confident in what you do and know that if your work is meaningful and relevant to you, then that’s all that matters.

3. I’m out of ideas

You need to build up a threshold for “creative pain” as successful illustrator Christoph Niemann said in a recent 99U talk. You are capable of a lot more than you think so don’t worry that you are out of ideas. Ask someone more senior than you where they think up their ideas. Perhaps there are some websites or other resources that you aren’t aware of that you could use. Don’t all your self-doubt to take over.